Following the drone attack on a base in Jordan, the US forces are now preparing to hit Iran-backed proxies across the Middle East with increased intensity, as reported by Voice of America (VOA). US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called the attack against sleeping quarters at Tower 22 in northeastern Jordan \u201cegregious,\u201d adding such actions will not be tolerated. The drone attack marks the first instance of US troops being killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the commencement of the Gaza war.<\/p>\n
The attack targeted Tower 22 in Jordan, near the Syrian border, escalating an already precarious situation in the region and killing three US soldiers and injuring more than 40 others. According to US officials, the drone responsible was launched by Iran-backed militants and seemed to originate from Syria, according to CNN. \u201cIt\u2019s time to take away even more capability than we\u2019ve taken in the past,\u201d Austin said on Thursday when asked why the United States has waited to respond more strongly to the more than 165 attacks on US forces in the Middle East dating to mid-October of last year.<\/p>\n
The US defence secretary also seemed to dismiss a statement issued by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia in Iraq, that it was suspending military operations against the US, VOA reported. \u201cWe always listen to what people are saying, but we watch what they do,\u201d he said. \u201cActions are everything.\u201d Austin further suggested that, following the deadly attack in Jordan, such gestures are too little, too late.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look to hold the people that are responsible for this accountable,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we also look to make sure that we continue to take away capability from them as we go forward.\u201d Moreover, he emphasised that the US is moving forward with a \u201cmulti-tiered response\u201d likely to include multiple military strikes. Meanwhile, on Thursday, US President Joe Biden approved plans for several days of strikes on targets that include \u201cIranian personnel and facilities\u201d in both Iraq and Syria,\u201d as reported by CBS News.<\/p>\n
Apart from the exception of a strike on January 4 in Baghdad that killed the leader of the Iran-backed Harakat-al-Nujaba militia, the previous US responses have strictly focused on hitting sites and storage facilities instead of militia personnel, according to VOA.<\/p>\n
However, some of the critics have raised concerns that Washington\u2019s willingness to talk about a military response has given the Iran-backed militias time to prepare. But Austin said he was not concerned with reports that some of the militias have been evacuating bases and training facilities. \u201cIn terms of telegraphing about strikes and whether or not people leave or what is left, I won\u2019t speculate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have a lot of capability. I have a lot more,\u201d he added. \u201cWe\u2019re going to do what\u2019s necessary to protect our troops and our interests.\u201d The defence chief also acknowledged that there has been no end to attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, despite several warnings and a series of strikes on Houthi facilities and missile launch locations, as reported by VOA.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Houthis continue to do some things that are very irresponsible and illegal. So, our goal is to make sure that we continue to take away capability from the Houthis to do what they\u2019ve been doing,\u201d he said. \u201cWe would call upon Iran to quit or to cease supplying the Houthis with these advanced conventional weapons that they\u2019ve used to attack ships,\u201d he said, calling it an issue of international concern.<\/p>\n
Reportedly, the Houthis have launched nearly 40 attacks on international shipping since mid-November, including a flurry of attacks and attempted attacks on Thursday. US Central Command, which oversees US forces in the Middle East, said that it started with the shoot-down of a drone in the early morning hours, Yemen time, over the Gulf of Aden, according to VOA. Several hours later, US forces in the Red Sea destroyed a Houthi naval drone packed with explosives that was headed for international shipping lanes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region,\u201d US Central Command, known as CENTCOM, said in a statement. Moreover, hours after the naval drone was eliminated, CENTCOM highlighted that the Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles in the general direction of the M\/V Koi, a Bermuda-owned cargo ship, VOA reported. Notably, the US designated the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group in January.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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